Veterinary Services:

Feather destructive behavior represents a range of actions from excessive preening, to feather plucking or feather picking, to self-mutilation. The cause of feather destructive behavior is not really understood, but is often believed to be cause by multiple problems that may be psychological and/or medical. Picking may also begin as a medical problem and then persist as a habit.

A wide range of medical problems have been linked to feather picking, including:

Nutritional deficiencies

Endoparasitism

Systemic disease including liver

Allergies may be suspected, but are difficult to confirm in avian patients

Ectoparasites such as mites are a rare cause of feather picking

Although inflammation of the feather follicles (folliculitis) and skin (dermatitis) is a frequent finding, it is usually secondary to the feather destructive behavior.

Behavioral or psychological causes of feather picking may include:

Boredom or lack of stimulation

Stress: Stress can mean very different things for different birds. Overstimulation in the form of noise and activity may initiate plucking in nervous birds, while a sedate, quiet environment may be stressful for another bird.

Separation anxiety

Sexual frustration

Feather destructive behavior may also be exacerbated by environmental factors such as low humidity or lack of exposure to natural light.

As an avian veterinarian, I would want to obtain detailed information about your bird’s behavior/ home life and perform a medical diagnostic work-up to rule out medical causes of feather picking.